Hey Ren, still not gonna speak?"
"Let it be, he'll piss himself," someone laughed.
"Not so fast. Let's have some fun first."
Ren's heartbeat thundered in his ears. His hands trembled.
"P-Please… g-get out of my way…" he stuttered, voice barely holding.
"Why so shy?" One grabbed his collar and slammed him against the blackboard.
"Go on. Write 'Please let me go' a hundred times."
Haha, look at him!"
"Hahaha!"
Tears streamed down Ren's cheeks, dripping onto his neck. Each laugh stabbed deeper than the last.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The alarm shattered the dream.
"Huh…"
Ren opened his eyes, soaked in sweat.
He silenced the alarm and sat still.
"Just a dream..."
But the pain? Still real.
A soft ray of morning sunlight slipped into Ren's room.
He stretched, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and began to walk down the stairs—each step feeling just a little heavier, weighed down by lingering thoughts.
"Good morning, Ren," his mom said with a gentle smile. "Go freshen up."
"Morning... yeah, I will."
He shut the bathroom door behind him, locked it with a click, and splashed cold water on his face. Still, his thoughts wouldn't quiet down.
Downstairs, the chair scraped lightly against the floor as he sat at the table.
"Good morning, Ren!" came his sister's cheerful voice.
"Morning," he mumbled, picking up a slice of toast.
"So…" she leaned in, a teasing glint in her eyes, "did you make any friends at school yet? Or maybe... a girlfriend?"
His hand froze mid-bite.
Huh...? Shut up."
She let out a soft laugh, clearly amused.
Mikaela pushed the chair back with a light screech and stood up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'm off to college," she said, slinging her bag over one shoulder.
"Alright, Mikaela. Take care," their mom replied with a soft smile, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Bye, Mom... Oh, and Ren—take care of yourself too, okay?" she added, tossing him a quick glance before heading out the door.
Moments later, their father glanced at his wristwatch, a sudden frown appearing.
"Ah—I'm running late," he muttered, grabbing his briefcase. "Alright, I'm off!"
Ren stood up from his seat, brushing crumbs from his shirt.
"Mm, I'll head out too, Mom."
She gave him a gentle nod. "Have a good day."
At school…
The classroom door creaked slightly as Ren pushed it open. The low murmur of students filled the room.
"Yo, Ren! Good morning!" Kaito waved from the second row.
"A-ah, morning, Kaito," Ren mumbled, walking over to him.
Kaito pulled out the chair beside him. "Come on, sit."
He plopped down, eyes lighting up.
"Hey, did you catch yesterday's episode? That last scene was wild!"
Ren gave a small nod, eyes distant. "Yeah... it was something."
Hana slid the classroom door open. "Hi, Kaito. Good morning," she said, her tone light.
"Oh, morning, Hana," Kaito replied with a soft smile. She settled into the desk beside him.
The classroom door opened again — this time, their homeroom teacher stepped in, making his way to the blackboard.
"Good morning, teacher," the class chorused as they rose to their feet.
"Good morning, everyone," the teacher returned the greeting with a warm smile. "Today, we have a new student joining our class. Please introduce yourself."
Yes, sir!" the girl said brightly. She stepped forward, her presence calm yet quietly radiant.
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Airi Thompson, and I'm a first-year student."
Even in those few words, there was something in her gentle expression — an unmistakable softness,
The teacher gestured toward an empty desk.
"Go on, Airi, take that seat."
"Okay, sir," she replied softly, walking toward the spot beside Ren. She placed her bag down neatly and turned toward him.
"Hello," she said with a warm smile, "I'm Airi."
Ren's shoulders tensed, and his eyes darted to the floor before meeting hers.
"M-my name's R–Ren," he stammered.
Airi's smile softened, her eyes lingering for just a second before she settled into her chair.
The day rolled by, and soon the final bell rang. Students shuffled out, voices filling the corridor. Airi had already found herself in cheerful conversation with two girls—Sakura and Miku—laughing as they walked out together.
Ren left with Kaito and Hana. They chatted lightly until a fork in the road appeared.
"This is us," Kaito said, raising a hand in farewell.
"Bye, Ren," Hana added, flashing a quick smile.
Yeah… see you," Ren replied, and watched them disappear down their path before continuing alone.
The quiet streets carried him home. When he opened the door, the faint aroma of dinner greeted him.
"I'm home," he called out.
"Welcome back," his mother's voice came from the kitchen.
Ren climbed the stairs to his room, the day's chatter fading behind him. He dropped onto his bed, his gaze wandering to the small desk in the corner. There, lying untouched, was the old diary.
He sat up slightly, eyes fixed on it.
Should I read it?
A pause. His brow furrowed.
"No… no, better not," he murmured to himself, sinking back into the bed.